Cloud-Based Print Management and MPS
Managing office printing using managed print services (MPS) lets organizations control and reduce print costs and waste, consolidate and remove underutilized printers, free up IT staff from printer support burdens such as driver deployment, supplies ordering, and service call reporting, and improve information security and privacy compliance efforts. In recent years, accelerated trends in the workforce of BYOD (bring your own device), worker mobility and remote or work-from-home situations have created challenges for print management efforts using traditional on-site print servers. To meet these challenges, cloud-based print management services and solutions are being deployed with more than 70% of organizations expecting to increase their use by 2025. Cloud-based MPS may be the perfect solution for your firm in today’s changing office environment.
It’s widely accepted that one of the most dramatic and permanent changes to the office workplace over the last 18 months is the hybrid workforce, where some employees are in the office full time, some split their weeks between the office and home, and some are permanently remote. With almost half of firms expecting that the ability to print will remain important through at least 2025, efficiently managing printers, multi-functional devices (MFD), faxes, copiers, and their associated costs will continue to remain important. On-site (in-office) print servers and print management solutions can be limited in their ability to effectively monitor and manage the print needs of the new widely distributed workforce. A cloud-based print management solution is more flexible and extends the key benefits of an MPS solution in three main areas:
Centrally monitor and manage print devices and their usage wherever they are located.
In traditional MPS solutions, separate on-site servers may be required for a firm’s multi-level office building or campus. These on-site servers may not efficiently monitor print devices used by remote employees or may not even have the ability to do so. Using a cloud-based print management solution allows a firm to monitor print devices, including who uses them and how much they use them, no matter where the device is located. A cloud-based print management solution also provides a centralized portal to efficiently manage those devices.
Reduce IT burden and expenses even further.
Along with continuing to monitor and manage usage and associated printing cost of devices, cloud-based print management can reduce IT burden and expenses even further than traditional MPS solutions. By removing the need for on-site print servers, IT staff doesn’t have to manage these additional IT assets, and capital expenses associated with purchasing print servers can be eliminated. In a cloud-based print management solution, there is no need to install print drivers, set up print queues, or configure print servers. No software is required to be purchased and installed, managed, or updated. Print device configuration and deployments and ongoing asset management happen in the cloud. New functions are added and all updates occur automatically within the cloud and don’t affect a firm’s IT infrastructure. All this means lower IT support costs and the ability to free IT resources for more strategic projects for the firm.
Ease security management.
Security in print management and MPS solutions means ensuring that security measures such as designating authorized users of print devices, requiring authentication, encryption, and the use of pull print functions are being used. A cloud-based print management and MPS solution can make these easier to configure, deploy, and enforce across the entire workforce whether they are printing in the office or using a remotely located print device. Consolidated reports can provide analytics that can help an organization pinpoint security vulnerabilities. As always with any print management or document management solution, an organization should conduct a risk assessment of the solution provider and cloud service provider to be comfortable that they meet the organization’s security requirements.
The print management and MPS solution professionals at Centric Business Systems will work with you to determine the best print management and MPS solution for your unique situation, whether that is an on-premise or cloud-based solution. Call Centric for an appointment and consultation at (877) 902-3301 or visit www.centricbiz.com to determine whether a flexible, secure, and scalable cloud print management and MPS solution is right for you.